“She’ll wake up!” Corrine snapped, obviously aggravated.
“I’m not saying she won’t. She always does,” Nevis replied. “But the timing is now critical.”
“Give her a little more time—” Hunter tried to say, but was abruptly interrupted by Kailani wheezing as she took a deep breath. It sounded like the first after minutes underwater. “Holy crap!”
“Kale! Baby!” Corrine exclaimed.
In a split second, Kailani was sitting up, panting as if she’d just run a marathon. Her curly hair covered most of her face, and her hands were shaking slightly. Hunter tried to hug her, but she gently pushed him back.
“Give me a moment,” she murmured.
I shot to my feet, my blood rushing to my head. That didn’t sound like Kailani. Not the Kailani I knew, anyway. Her voice was raspier and lower, quite different from her usual vibrant tone.
“Honey! Are you okay?” Corrine asked, wide-eyed as she looked at her granddaughter.
One by one, the others in our crew, along with the rest of the prisoners, got up. Derek, Sofia, Xavier, Vivienne, Lucas, Marion, Cameron, and Liana motioned for everyone to maintain their position and not get too close.
“Give her room to breathe,” Derek said out loud.
“We don’t want to tip off anyone watching us,” Xavier added.
I completely agreed.
“Kale. Talk to me,” Hunter murmured, visibly concerned.
Kailani finally looked up, and my whole world was temporarily shaken. She looked like Kailani, but she wasn’t the person I knew anymore. Something fundamental had changed inside her. There was a faint, peculiar golden glow that had settled into her tanned skin. Her breathing was now even, and her eyes…
“Your eyes,” I said, pointing at her.
Corrine and Ibrahim followed my gaze, then stilled.
“Oh, something’s definitely different,” Ibrahim croaked.
“She’s transformed,” Lumi replied, beaming with pride as she took Kailani’s hands and helped her stand up.
Kailani’s caramel eyes were gone. The pupils were pearly white, with a golden contour—much like Lumi’s, with the only difference being that Lumi’s pupil contours were blue. But the energy oozing out of her was the most noticeable change of all.
Judging by the expressions around me, I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
“Kale… Talk to us,” Corrine said, her voice trembling. Fear and curiosity burned through her aura, but love was still the predominant shade. I had a feeling that, no matter what happened to Kailani, Corrine and Ibrahim would still love her more than anything in the world. The same could be said about Arwen and Brock. Hunter. Heck, all of us who knew her.
“Grandma,” Kailani replied. There it was! That change in her voice! It was permanent. I knew, deep down, that Kailani would never sound like her old self ever again. “I’m… I’m okay.”
“The Word accepted her,” Lumi said. “Her chrysalis stage is complete.”
“She’s a full swamp witch, now,” Ibrahim concluded.
The moment we’d all been practically praying for had ultimately arrived. Despite the fears and constant concern. Despite the knot in my stomach whenever she blacked out. Despite everything! Kailani had pulled through, and she’d come out victorious in the end, with the power of the Word flowing through her.
Kailani
I’d fused with the Word.
The bond between us was unbreakable. My existence in this world had become indelible. I was infinitely stronger, more confident in my powers, and, most importantly, more awake than ever. Everything was crystal clear. Every atom, every molecule, and every damn particle around me—they all made sense.
Every word that was ever written. Every breath taken. Every sunset and sunrise… Good grief, there was so much of this entire universe that I was deeply connected to!
I could feel the energy bursting through me, like a thousand suns being born at once, taking over the vast emptiness of a young cosmos. It would take a while to get used to it, for sure, but I loved the general feeling. I doubted I’d ever need coffee again.
Looking around, I saw that the expressions of my people spoke of excitement and relief. Everyone was so happy to see me. I must’ve been out for a while, for them to be like this.
“How are you feeling?” Hunter asked me. The way he looked at me made me worry a little. I felt different, but did I look different, too? Or was he simply worried that something was maybe wrong with me? We’d all thought about potentially negative outcomes of this apprenticeship, anyway.
“I’m good, I swear,” I replied softly. “How long was I out?”
“A few hours, but… There’s something very different about you, Kale,” Grandma Corrine said, then gently cupped my face, tears glazing her eyes.
“The Word fused with you, Kale,” Lumi interjected. “Your apprenticeship is complete. You’re now a swamp witch. The real deal. Like me.”
“Yeah, even your eyes are friggin’ weird,” Elonora shot back, pursing her lips.
I blinked several times. “They don’t feel weird.”
Lumi chuckled softly. “They’re like mine, in a way,” she said. “But, Kale, I have to admit, even I didn’t have the amount of Word power surging through me that you do.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, while Grandma and Grandpa both hugged me, briefly, smothering me with kisses. They didn’t need to say anything. I could feel their love, like sunshine on my face on a good day at the beach.
“Your witch genes definitely played a part,” Lumi replied. “I don’t know whether to admire you or be wary of you, if I’m honest.”
